April 28, 2012 – IRAN – America’s most sophisticated stealth jet fighters have been quietly deployed to an allied base less than 200 miles from Iran’s mainland, according to an industry report, but the Air Force adamantly denied the jets’ presence is a threat to the Middle East nation. Multiple stealth F-22 Raptors, which have never been combat-tested, are in hangars at the United Arab Emirates’ Al Dafra Air Base, just a short hop over the Persian Gulf from Iran’s southern border, the trade publication Aviation Week reported. Air Force spokesperson Lt. Col. John Dorrian would not confirm the exact location of the F-22s, but told ABC News they had been deployed to a base in Southwest Asia — a region that includes the UAE. Dorrian also stressed that the F-22s were simply taking part in a scheduled deployment and are “not a threat to Iran. This is a very normal deployment to strengthen military relationships, promote sovereign and regional security, improve combined tactical air operations and enhance interoperability of forces,” Dorrian said. The F-22 has only been in the UAE once before for training missions in 2009 with “coalition partners.” Dorrian declined to say what the Raptors’ mission was in the region this time around or how many planes had been deployed, citing operational security. However, Dorrian said that because of the F-22’s next-generation capabilities, any number of planes deployed to the region is “significant.” Though the F-22 has been officially combat operational since December 2005, no planes from the Air Force fleet — which are made by defense contracting giant Lockheed Martin and cost an estimated $79 billion — have seen combat. The plane was not used in Iraq, Afghanistan or in the U.S.-led no-fly mission over Libya. The Air Force has said the sophisticated jets simply haven’t been needed yet. But Jeff Babione, Lockheed Martin’s vice president for the F-22 program, told ABC News last year that the plane was “absolutely’ suited for taking on more sophisticated adversaries and could be used in deep penetration strike missions in well-defended combat zones inside places like North Korea or Iran. –ABC

13 Responses to U.S. deploys fleet of sophisticated stealth planes to air base in SW Asia

A single F22 can control multiple drones. So the the fleet is significantly more agile and adaptable then being reported. There are already thousands of drones in Iraq/Kuwait and Afghanistan. How hard would it be to fly a few Raptors into those areas, acquire the drones, and lead them into Iran. I don’t buy the story that this is a “normal” deployment.

It has been reported on other news outlets tha this aircraft has had its share of problems although
it is rated as a top aircraft. One report wrote about the tech problems in that it could not communicate with a certain type of F-15 Models because differ types of radar and such. This plane has been plagued with problems but what high-tech systems do not?
Strangely, the nighthawk, I believe our 1st sleath fighter, that penetrated deep into Iraq in the 1st Gulf war was tested in Panama in a limited way and I wonder why this aircraft could not have been used in Libya in a limited deployment. One Air Force General has complained that we don’t have enough, and of course some generals never think we have enough. we have about 106?.
One story on the internet wrote that a release switch was not provided to open the cockpit from within and the pilot had to be cut out and another report stated that a flight crossed the international dateline in the pacific and had a navigation systems failure of some sort and had to return to hawaii.
It has been my experience that when the military gets a new toy, they like to find a way to use it.
And, I do not believe everything they say and I don’t believe their story in regard to this aircraft.
Case in point……In the second gulf war, an apache helicopter unit was shot up in Iraq and one was forced down. The Pentagon reported that the helicopter had been destroyed by an airstrike so its
equipment would not fall into unfriendly hands….Three days later, Fox news shows this same chopper on a flatbed truck in Bagdad ……….
However, the deployment of this aricraft to the middle east is significant. Wheather its there for
just show and tell is another story…….

Surrounding a foreign country, (in this case Iran) with fighter jets, warships and armed troops…is nothing to worry about, ” This is a very normal deployment to strengthen military relationships, promote sovereign and regional security” says Lt. Con. Dorien. Now turn on your Television and go back to sleep… Verrrry norrrrmal

I read mainstream news (I can’t stand to listen to the pundit’s voices) to keep up with what ‘the control machine’ is spewing forth. I also read the comments boards (mostly I read Yahoo) to get an idea of what the sheeple are buying into. It’s almost funny to read MSM, some stuff they don’t even bother to try to cover, and other stuff they come up with the most obviously false, laughable stories. Of course, when I realize that their lies and filth are flaming the sheep into a frenzy, begging for their own demise, my blood begins to run cold. I am still floored by the level of stupidity I see on the Yahoo comment boards, and how people seem to forget things they read days, weeks, or months prior; so much can be gleemed by connecting the dots, putting together various bits and forming a picture. I guess those people never did a jiggsaw puzzle as a kid! The MSM, as I know you know Stefan, is owned and run by the government, so it will write and speak what it is told to. What never fails to blow my mind is how many millions of Americans actually do still believe it.

Every day I thank God that there are still brave souls like Alvin, with the courage to keep bringing us knowledge that the mainstream long ago sold for their souls and careers. Alvin, I also pray everyday for the safety of you and others like you, as this society shuts down and comes closer to a potential third world war and US dictatorship. I know of some who have already faced escalating harrassment for speaking the truth and pointing the way for us to find the truth ourselves. Even in the mainstream, you only have to read between the lines and connect the dots, which many do not seem able to do. While America dumbs Herself down, I honor all of you who refuse to turn out the lights.

If this were a “normal” deployment, we wouldn’t be hearing from a hig ranking Air Force officer trying to explain away. He said there were there and they are there for a reason. I think Michelle o must have a vacation planned to the UAE. :)

I completely agree with you. I only watch to see which diversions are being played. There’s a whole lot of “Look over here” while a whole lot of devious stuff is going on. Meanwhile, they completely overlook real news and cataclysmic events. Events that are reported on this site on a daily basis (for example). Even the freaking Weather Channel misses most of this.

Lies, ignorance of fact and overly prideful commentary has far superseded reporting facts and letting the viewer decide. I’ll only touch on them being (more than likely) bought and paid for.

Just remember, while digging for truth, leave no stone unturned, cross reference everything and keep an open mind until something proves otherwise.

Will be a surprise to many people when US do their job there. Hopefully I expect that Russia and China looks everything from the distance. North Korea have to known that if their play the game will have consecuences too !!

Bill Clinton stated U.S. policy on North Korea when he was president saying that if North Korea attacked South Korea, ‘it would be the end of their country as they know it.’ I think the U.S. has a nuclear deterrent policy in regards to North Korea because the country cannot be bombed without unleashing its nuclear arsenal on the South in retaliation. This is an extremely dangerous part of the world and if the U.S. comes within an inch of a war with North Korea nearly everyday as the U.S. Defense Sec. stated last week; that certainly underscores this point.